WEST LAFAYETTE — From opening a new dog park to adding more than 20 miles of paved trails, the West Lafayette Parks and Recreation Department has big plans for the city's future.
The department recently released its five-year master plan that calls for major upgrades and additions to the West Lafayette's indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, with more than $50 million devoted to parks and trails.
The components detailed in the plan aren't set in stone, and access to the necessary funding for them isn't promised, but the plan does paint a picture of the type of city West Lafayette wants to be as its population continues to grow and leaders aim to bring in more industry.
"Those are the kinds of things that make our community livable and more attractive to make people come here and live here," said Janet Fawley, West Lafayette's parks and recreation superintendent. "It's our role to make sure they have those things."
When developing the master plan, the department found that access to trails are extremely important to the city's residents, second only to indoor recreation — a need that's being met with a new indoor recreation and aquatics center that will be built in Cumberland Park.
The parks and recreation department is hoping to address residents' desire for more bike and walking trails by adding 21.5 miles of off-road, multi-purpose trails and paths.
The city currently has about 30 miles of paved paths and multi-purpose trails, but the additional 21.5 miles are necessary to seamlessly link together West Lafayette's core parks, cultural facilities, neighborhoods and popular destinations, according to the plan.